Daily French Exercise: Les Blue Jays Balayés

Barring any inconsistencies among his travel documents — an entirely real contingency, that — the author is relocating for about a year to Paris beginning in the middle of September. In preparation for said move — and in a gesture of supreme self-interest — he has resolved to publish in this space a brief, daily French exercise concerning base-and-ball.

What follows is such an exercise — featuring, in this case, a passage from Canoe regarding the New York Yankees’ recent sweep of Toronto.

For each paragraph, the author has produced a (likely flawed) translation. At the bottom, there’s commentary regarding certain words or phrases of note (and which are marked by an asterisk) either because (a) those words and phrases are particularly difficult, but the author has grasped their meaning or (b) they are particularly difficult and the author has abandoned all attempts to make sense of them.

NEW YORK – Les Yankees de New York ont défait, encore une fois, les Blue Jays de Toronto, cette fois par la marque de 5-3, jeudi.

NEW YORK – The New York Yankees defeated, once again, the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, this time by a score of 5-3.

Les Bombardiers du Bronx ont ainsi remporté tous les matchs de cette série de quatre face aux représentants de la Ville Reine.

The Bronx Bombers, as a result, took every contest in the four-game series against the representatives of the Queen City.

Dans la victoire, Curtis Granderson a claqué* sa quatrième longue balle de la saison en cinquième manche. Vernon Wells, Chris Stewart et Eduardo Nunez, avec deux, ont produit* les autres points des locaux.

In the victory, Curtis Granderson slammed his fourth long ball of the season in the fifth innings. Vernon Wells, Chris Stewart, and Eduardo Nunez (with two) produced the other runs for the home team.

Le receveur J.P. Arencibia a tout de même cogné* son 19e circuit de la saison; une claque en solo aux dépens du partant* Andy Pettitte.

Catcher J.P. Arencibia, meanwhile, hit his 19th home run of the season, a solo shot at the expense of Andy Pettitte.

Pettitte (9-9) a obtenu le gain, oeuvrant pendant six manches et accordant un petit point mérité sur quatre coups sûrs et trois buts sur balles. David Robertson a effectué* son deuxième sauvetage de la campagne.

Pettitte (9-9) earned the victory, working over six innings and allowing just a lone earned run on four hits and three walks. David Robertson recorded his second save of the season.

La défaite est allée au dossier de J.A. Happ (3-3). Ce dernier a évolué* pendant cinq manches et un tiers sur la butte, allouant quatre points mérités sur trois coups sûrs et cinq passes gratuites.

The loss went to J.A. Happ (3-3). The latter spent five and a third innings on the mound, allowing four earned runs on three hits and five free passes.

Le gérant des Jays, John Gibbons, a été sorti* de la rencontre en cinquième manche pour avoir argumenté une décision douteuse de l’arbitre au troisième coussin*. La rencontre s’est amorcée avec un peu plus de 3 h 30 de retard.

Jays manager John Gibbons was ejected from the game in the fifth inning for having argued a questionable decision by the umpire at third base. The game began with a little more than a three-hour and thirty-minute delay.

Comments
• The phrasal verb a claqué is the passé composé form of claquer, a word that — like cogner or frapper — means “to hit” or “to strike.”

• The phrasal verb ont produit is derived from produire, “to produce,” but is more notable insofar as it reminds the author that the third-person plural of avoir is (ont). A similar construction (ont ainsi remporté) appears in the paragraph before, as well.

• The expression tout de même, which appears within the passé composé construction a cogné means “all the same,” it appears.

• The phrase aux dépens de appears to be an idiomatic expression meaning “at the expense of.” The precise role of partant is mysterious, thus the author has ignored it entirely.

• The phrasal verb a effectué is the passé composé form of effectuer, meaning “to complete” and other things like “to complete,” it seems.

• The phrasal verb a évolué is from évoluer, which means a number of things, including “play” and “perform.”

• The construction a été sorti is actually the third person singular passé composé of être (“to be”) plus the past participle of sortir, meaning “to go out” or “to eject.”

• The word coussin is a masculine noun meaning “cushion,” but probably indicating “base” here. But is typically the word used for “base,” from what the author has read elsewhere.
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Previous Editions: Introduction and Les Phillies Résistent / Les Giants sans Rivaux! / Ichiro Obtient Son 4000e Coup Sûr.